My musical hero Dave Alvin (aka the Voice in Raylan Givens’ head) has committed authorship again (a book of poetry was published in 1996). You can bet it’ll be in hand as soon as it rolls off the press. Celebrated singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Alvin is, first and foremost, a storyteller. The Grammy winning artist’s disarmingly well-crafted … [Read more...] about Working The Trapline — On The New Highway

Sons of Anarchy was a frontier tale. Now it appears that its creator, Kurt Sutter is going full-bore into the genre. He’s inked a deal with Netflix to create a Western series called The Abandons. Sutter told Deadline: “I’ve always wanted to do a Western, even before Sons, and then Deadwood came out,” he said. “There’s that great lore of Ian … [Read more...] about Kurt Sutter Heads West

Part II of The Frontier Partisan Podcast series on Frederick Russell Burnham is up. You can listen here or on Spotify and a variety of other podcasting platforms. This episode focuses on Burnham’s role as a scout in the Matabele War of 1893 and the Matabele Rebellion of 1896. Burnham’s actions in these brief but intense colonial conflicts … [Read more...] about Burnham And The Matabele Wars — Podcast Episode Part II

Smallpox devastated the Blackfeet twice in the span of a couple of generations, first in 1781, and again, catastrophically, in 1837-38. A new film tells a tale from the 18th Century outbreak — entirely in the Blackfoot language. Hat tip to Lane Batot for scouting this out. From The Missoulian: Shot entirely on Blackfeet tribal land, the … [Read more...] about Sooyii — A Blackfoot Language Film

Editor’s note: I love this electronic campfire we’ve created, where Frontier Partisan folk from across the globe can gather. I received this missive from Kobus van Coppenhagen on Monday morning, and it absolutely made my day. With his permission, I have posted it in full here. Be warned: Here be sidetrails. (I’m looking at YOU David … [Read more...] about On The Trail Of An Elephant Hunter — More on Johannes Lodewickus Lee

The Pony Express dropped a package that is full of meaning and memory for me — my copy of Bob Sabet’s book retelling the story of Skeeter Vaughan, aka Grey Otter: Grey Otter, a half Cherokee man also known as Skeeter Vaughan, the legendary knife and tomahawk thrower; devised a tomahawk fighting system during World War Two. This book provides an … [Read more...] about Working The Trapline — A Black Dog, A Goat, And A Grey Otter

The first episode of The Frontier Partisan Podcast series on Frederick Russell Burnham is up. Listen here or on Spotify or other podcasting platforms. This first episode tracks FRB through his early years, where he deliberately set about training himself to be a scout. We seek to find his trail through the dark defile of the Tonto Basin Feud and … [Read more...] about Podcast Alert — The Making Of A Scout

Good-bye Joe, me gotta go, me-oh-my-oh Me gotta go pole my pirogue down the bayou.... — Hank Williams, Jambalaya * Just one o’ them ricochets. Roll with it. As I was delving into some maritime Indian special ops in Pontiac’s War (some very cool stuff that will appear in the forthcoming podcast series), I ran across some ponderations … [Read more...] about Pirate Periagua

Well, doggone! I got so caught up in other doings that I almost forgot to remind all Frontier Partisans that Season 4 of My Cowboy Soap Opera (aka Yellowstone) premiers Sunday night, November 7, picking up where Season 3’s closing mayhem left off. The two-hour premier episode will also feature a look at Taylor Sheridan’s historical … [Read more...] about Return To Yellowstone

Illicit trade and rebellion on seas and in the skies — and in forest and desert bush ... * Eric Jay Dolin has released a book trailer for Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution. I am eagerly anticipating this one. As for the trailer itself, I want more of that glorious mappiness. More … [Read more...] about Working The Trapline — All Over The Map